Dear Sir

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 14, 21 August 1946, Page 4

Dear Sir

Letters to the Editor must he clearly written on one side of the paper only and where a nom-de-plume is used the name of the writer must be included for reference purposes. The 'Editor reserves the right to abridge, amend or withhold any letter or letters.

CIVIL SERVANTS AND POLITICS

Sir, —A Public Service Official Circular (No. 17) warns the civil servant that “He is not to indulge in political or party controversy lest by doing so he should appear no longer a disinterested adviser of Ministers or able impartially to adminster their policy.” Officers have been advised “that strict adherence to the standards laid down in the circular would be required.” v The circular is in direct contravention of the Political Disabilities Act passed by the same Government which issues the circular. When the Government “disciplined” Uncle Scrim they repudiated the whole Act which was never anything but meaningless and a bit of window dressing. Civil servants can never publically take any part in politics no matter what Government is in power and when we all become civil servants or quasi-civil servants which will be our position when full socialism comes then we will all be in the same position as the civil servants. It is amazing that so many apparently intelligent people cannot see that there can be no democratic form of socialism—that any law granting freedom of speech or re-

ligion or providing for democratic government is just valueless and that democracy with its freedom of speech and freedom from fear arises solely out of an economic system based on private ownership plus the free competitive system. Mankind must have certain fundamental freedoms and in our endeavour to gain these freedoms we, in our stupidity, destroy the only things which can bring us political freedom and create that which of necessity destroys all freedom. \" Yours etc., DEMOCRAT.